Vice President Vance Says Ukraine War Unlikely To End Soon Despite Ongoing Peace Talks

 

U.S. Vice President JD Vance acknowledged that the war in Ukraine is unlikely to end in the near future, even as Washington and Kyiv signed a new critical minerals agreement that includes peace efforts as part of its broader goals.

Speaking Thursday, Vance downplayed recent optimism from the White House and instead emphasized the ongoing difficulty of securing a resolution to the war. While highlighting that President Donald Trump had achieved a “major breakthrough” in initiating peace talks, Vance made it clear that the path forward remains long and uncertain.

“It’s going to be up to them — Ukraine and Russia — to come to an agreement and stop this brutal conflict,” Vance said. “It’s not going anywhere. It’s not going to end anytime soon.”

He also questioned the prolonged human cost of the conflict. “Of course the Ukrainians are angry that they were invaded, but are we going to keep losing thousands of soldiers over a few miles of territory? I hope both sides come to their senses.”

Trump has claimed that Russia and Ukraine were recently “very close to a deal,” following a lengthy three-hour meeting between his foreign envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin. Despite such statements, the negotiations remain stalled. Though Ukraine has accepted a 30-day ceasefire proposal backed by the U.S., Russia continues to reject the offer, insisting instead on international recognition of Ukrainian territories it has seized — a demand that violates international law.

Meanwhile, Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian cities far from the front lines persist, with regular missile and drone strikes targeting civilian infrastructure.

Still, Vance described the ongoing negotiations as a win in and of themselves. “I really don’t believe anyone else in the world could have gotten this far but Donald J. Trump. Getting both sides to propose peace terms is an accomplishment,” he said.

Earlier this week, Russian President Putin announced a temporary, unilateral three-day ceasefire from May 8 to May 11. In response, the Trump administration and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called again for a permanent truce — but deep divisions remain.

Tensions between Washington and Kyiv have surfaced throughout the negotiations. Trump recently criticized Zelensky for refusing to accept Russian control over Crimea, the region annexed by Moscow in 2014. Calling Zelensky’s comments “very harmful to the peace negotiations,” Trump warned that Ukraine’s continued resistance could prolong the war unnecessarily.

“It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that make it so difficult to settle this war,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The situation for Ukraine is dire. He can have peace, or he can fight for another three years and risk losing the whole country.”

In contrast, after a private conversation with Zelensky on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral, Trump appeared to question Russia’s intentions, suggesting Putin might not be serious about ending the conflict: “Maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war,” Trump said.

Amidst the shifting rhetoric, frustration is growing inside the Trump administration. On Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the U.S. might walk away from the talks if meaningful progress isn't made soon. “If we don’t see a breakthrough very soon, President Trump may need to reassess whether these negotiations are worth continuing,” Rubio said.